


five times runaan didn't say "i love you" to his assistant and one time he did

by ifeelpersonallyattacked



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Developing Relationship, Loneliness, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, M/M, Mutual Pining, he can't confess because of this, he's super dramatic too, probably out of character but it's kay, runaan is a CEO, runaan is emotionally constipated, runaan is just lovesick and gay, tinker can bake, tinker is his PA
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-25 23:32:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19755997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifeelpersonallyattacked/pseuds/ifeelpersonallyattacked
Summary: Runaan is head-over-heels in love with his assistant, Tinker, but he can't quite find the words needed to admit his feelings.





	1. "get me some water"

**Author's Note:**

> originally this was gonna be a one-shot but i decided to spread it out more. hope you enjoy!!

1.

Runaan Moonshadow had everything. Everything in theory, that is. He was the CEO of a large multi-million dollar corporation, lived in a spacious luxury apartment, and was extremely handsome. At least, according to the several magazine articles done on him, some of which called him a “real-life Christian Grey”. It was insulting, to say the least, but the press was good for his company, so he dealt with it. Runaan had everything he could ever want in life; stability, comfort, and access to life’s little pleasures. 

Everything except someone to share it with. 

It was unknown to many except his closest confidants, but Runaan was growing tired of his solitary lifestyle. He yearned for a lover to spend his days, his nights, and the rest of his life with. Someone that would love him for him. However, due to his rather...cold personality, many of his previous consorts had left him after barely a month. Others, the ones who could brave the chill, left because of his exhausting work schedule. Some were nice about it. ‘It’s not you, it’s me’, they would say. The rest weren’t as kind. It wouldn’t do any good to get into details, as Runaan found rehashing the past an entirely pointless endeavor. All that mattered was that they weren’t the one for him. 

But although he would never admit it to himself or anyone else, Runaan never made much of an effort with his past partners. Although he would never be outright rude or act in other horrific ways, never had he ever found the spark he had been looking for. Most of the time, he had only been courting them because they were tolerable people he happened to meet and he was sick and tired of seeing his youth waste away. Call him old-fashioned, but he was waiting for a soulmate. 

However, after exactly thirteen failed relationships, he had resigned himself to never finding The One that would set his heart alight. He’d probably marry someone his parents picked out for him, have a couple kids he’d never pay attention to, run the company for a few more decades, and then hand it over to his oldest. That would be his entire existence and he had just accepted that it would be when someone came into his life that turned all that on its head. 

Tinker came into the office as a whirlwind; a slightly crooked scarf, a box full of homemade baked goods, and a smile was all it took to win over the majority of the office. Even Viren, his rather bristly Head of Sales, warmed up a bit after seeing his dazzling smile. Runaan remembered it well. 

It was the day he was due to get a new assistant. About time too, his previous four had all quit for various reasons. It was quite a hassle, if Runaan did say so himself. 

He had been working on a report when Tinker came barging into his office without so much as a knock. Looking back, he had been  _ quite  _ annoyed, but all that had changed when he glanced up. To think, he had been ready to fire whoever had dared disturb him. But Tinker...Tinker was beautiful. He had slightly messy oak-colored hair that flopped over his eyes, cinnamon-colored skin that seemed to glow, and an infectious grin that made Runaan’s heart flutter. 

“What is it?” he had asked rather breathlessly, still enraptured by the mesmerizing creature in front of him. 

Tinker hadn’t seemed to notice his completely out-of-character demeanor. Of course, he was new. 

“Hello!” he had said brightly, flipping his unruly out of his eye, “You’re Mr. Moonshadow, right? The CEO?” 

Runaan immediately switched over to business-mode. “Yes, that is correct. What is it you need?” 

Tinker didn’t seem flummoxed by Runaan’s rather icy behavior. He almost seemed encouraged by it. “Oh, I don’t need anything! I’m Tinker Sunfire, your new personal assistant. I just thought I’d stop by and give you one of my homemade moonberry surprises! Need to make a good first impression on my boss, right?” He opened up the pastry box he had been carrying(which Runaan hadn’t noticed in favor of staring openly at Tinker’s face) and a wonderful smell assaulted Runaan’s nose. Oh, so this boy could bake. Runaan was ready to propose right then and there. 

The treats looked great and Runaan realized how long it had been since he had eaten sweets for pleasure. Of course, he had ordered desserts at business dinners out of necessity, but other than that, he found no reason to knowingly ingest overly sugary things. However, Tinker looked so earnest that Runaan found himself thinking he’d just have to start eating dessert every day. If only they could be Tinker’s desserts. 

“Is everything okay?” 

Tinker’s voice jolted him out of his lovesick reverie and he realized much too late he had probably been staring too long at the moonberry surprises. Like an idiot. 

Runaan quickly looked up at Tinker’s face and was horrified to see that his smile had faltered a little bit. And  _ he  _ had been the cause of it. Dear god, he was stupid. The worst human being on the face of the planet. 

“I also made vegan and gluten-free ones if that’s what you’re worried about,” Tinker continued, reaching to close the box, “I can go get--”

“No, no!” Runaan found himself interrupting, “No, that’s quite alright.” Desperately hoping to remedy the situation, he reached into the box and took a moonberry surprise. It appeared to be some sort of pastry, with a flaky and buttery crust and a dollop of fluffy, white whipped cream dolloped on top. He quickly bit into it and was pleasantly surprised by the rich, fruity flavor. It had a moonberry and cream filling that went excellently with the savory buttery flavor of the crust. It tasted like a little slice of heaven and Runaan had to stop himself from groaning at the amazing taste. 

“Good, right?” Tinker said with a little bit of teasing in his voice. The smile had returned to his face in full and Runaan knew that all was right with the world once again.“Nobody can resist my moonberry surprise! It’s made with a secret ingredient, that’s what makes the flavor so rich and creamy.” 

Runaan nodded and swallowed the bite, resisting the urge to devour the whole thing. He couldn’t be so callous in front of his future husband. What would his in-laws think? But he was getting ahead of himself. First, he had to confess his feelings and then shower Tinker with lavish gifts and then maybe,  _ just maybe,  _ he’d be worthy of his affection. 

“It’s quite good, as a matter of fact,” he commented in an offhand way, setting the treat down on one of his decorative hankies, “Do you bake often?”

Tinker flushed red and Runaan felt his heart skip several beats. “Yeah, when I have time. I also like to...uh, do metalworking.”

Runaan raised an eyebrow. So his love was multi-talented. “Metalworking?”

Tinker’s head dropped and he nodded once more. He seemed to be...almost embarrassed of his surely wonderous talent.“Right. I like to make jewellery and things like that. I’m not very good.” 

Runaan felt his heart lurch. How could he say that about himself? He wouldn’t stand for it. There would be no self-deprication while he was alive. 

“Don’t say that,” Runaan murmured, his voice uncharacteristically soft and gentle, “I’m sure you’re incredible. I’d love to see your work sometime.” 

Tinker’s head raised, his doe-like eyes wide and shining. “Oh…” he breathed out, causing Runaan to (almost) go into cardiac arrest, “Thank you very much, sir.” 

Runaan was transfixed by Tinker’s beauty. In this moment, Tinker could’ve asked him to jump out of a window and Runaan would’ve gladly done it. “Might I ask you a question?” he asked in a low voice, intending to ask Tinker to marry him right then and there. 

Tinker brought his hands up to his heart. “Of course, sir. Anything.” 

It was what came out of his mouth next that made Runaan want to quit his job and move to Serbia to live as a hermit. “Would you mind fetching me a glass of water? My throat is rather parched.”

Tinker didn’t answer for a solid five seconds. Then, he blinked once and shook his head slightly, seemingly startled out of the state he had been in. The dreamy, shining look in his gorgeous eyes disappeared and he stepped back. He almost looked disappointed at the question. “Y-Yes, Mr. Moonshadow. Right away.” 

And with that, he swept out of the office in order to do what his job required. 

Runaan stared at the space that Tinker had once occupied for several moments. Then, the crash happened. God, he had been so  _ stupid.  _ That wasn’t his intention, to ask for water. He didn’t need water. He needed Tinker to be his husband, that was what he needed. Slumping down in his seat, he rubbed his temple with his hand, feeling a headache coming on. 

“I need to call Rayla.”


	2. send these faxes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> runaan is a dumb gay once again

_ “Oh my god, this is priceless!” _

Runaan groaned into the phone, trying to resist the urge to drive over to Rayla’s home and smack her. “Rayla, I do not think my emotional suffering is cause for amusement.”

That only made her laugh harder. Runaan had to hold the phone away from his ear in order to keep his eardrums intact. 

_ “I can’t believe this!” _ she guffawed, her raucous giggling making Runaan question why he even called his cousin in the first place. Of course she would react this way, it was a very Rayla thing to do. Laugh at all of his failures in romance. Ha, ha, ha. 

“What, may I ask, is so funny?” he bit out through gritted teeth, his grip tightening on the cell phone. 

There was a short pause, where only the sounds of Rayla’s laughter dying down could be heard. Then:  _ “Runaan, you’re callin’ me for love advice. Advice on how to get some random guy you just met today to marry you.” _ She snorted.  _ “To be honest, I didn’t think you were the ‘love at first sight’ type.”  _

“He’s my soulmate,” Runaan replied, completely serious, “Why would I not want to marry him immediately?”

Rayla sighed and Runaan could practically feel her disappointment through the phone. _ “Runaan, most people actually date someone for a while before marryin’ them? You know, to see if you’re compatible and all that.” _

“We’re soulmates,” Runaan shot back, getting rather impatient with his cousin’s craziness, “Why would we need to see if we’re compatible?”

Rayla’s resounding groan did all the answering for him.  _ “How do you know you’re soulmates with him? And how do you know that he’s not already in a relationship?” _

Just the thought of Tinker being in a relationship with someone else made Runaan’s blood freeze in his veins. Of course, he’d never dream of getting in between Tinker and his maybe-partner, but it would break his heart for good. He’d never love again, he’d have to move to Hungary and become a beggar--

_ “Runaan, I can tell you’re overthinkin’ again, so let’s act on the assumption that your boy is single and ready to mingle.” _ Rayla’s voice startled him out of his downward spiral.  _ “Firs’ things first. You can forget the idea of marrying him right away. I’m sure he doesn’t want that, even if you do.” _

Runaan grunted. “Rayla, just because you and Callum took six years to finally marry does not mean I must do the same.”

_ “Hey! I had to make sure that Callum was really right for me. You know I turned down his proposals twice because I wasn’t ready for marriage at that time, and you know what? He stuck by me the entire time. He didn’t pressure me to get married before I wanted and now look at us. We’re happier than can be.”  _

Runaan said nothing, hoping his silence would convey the message. He felt like a petulant child, wanting to always get their own way, but how could he possibly wait to marry his beloved? It was inconceivable, out of the question entirely! 

_ “Runaan, if you really like him, you’ll respect his wishes. And I’m ninety-nine percent sure that he does not want to get married to his boss, at least not right away.” _ Rayla said, the tone of voice making it clear this topic wasn’t up for discussion. 

Runaan huffed and finally relented to his cousin. “Alright! What must I do?”

Rayla chuckled in a way that told Runaan she was up to something.  _ “Ask him to get dinner with you. You know, as a friendly boss-to-subordinate type thing. Just make up an excuse like, ‘Oh, let me get to know you better. Allow me to take you to dinner, my treat.’ He couldn’t possibly say no to a free meal.”  _

Runaan jotted it down in his mental notepad. “Alright, and then what? Propose to him after we eat dessert?”

_ “No, Runaan,” _ Rayla’s voice took on the same tone as a mother patiently explaining to her child that hitting was wrong,  _ “Don’t propose. You’ll only scare him off. Just get to know him during dinner and then afterwards, ask him if he’d like to have lunch sometime.” _

Runaan scoffed. “That’s it? How are you married, Rayla?”

Rayla hummed.  _ “Because I followed my own advice. You’re not married because you don’t follow my advice.” _

“Alright, alright!” Runaan gave in, “I’ll do what you say. But mark my words, it won’t work.”

_ “We’ll see about that.” _ And with a click, Rayla had hung up on him. 

Runaan made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a groan and tossed his phone on the sofa. He reclined in his leather chair and ruminated on the conversation that had just taken place. Perhaps Rayla was right. He hated to admit it to himself, but although he just  _ knew  _ that Tinker was his meant-to-be, he might find it rather creepy if Runaan forced himself on him. That wouldn’t do at all. 

It was decided. Tomorrow was the day it would all fall into place. Tomorrow was the start of the rest of his life.

\---------------------

Everything was set. The plan was in motion. It was exactly 10:55 in the morning, the time Runaan calculated it would be best to ask Tinker out to dinner. He had sent his PA to get coffee from the shop down the street and he should be back any second. 

Sparing a quick glance at the clock, Runaan decided it was acceptable to be vain for a moment and looked in the mirror that hung adjacent to his desk. His suit, tailored and ironed to perfection, was an emerald green and looked rather dashing. His hair, brushed until it shone, did not have a strand out of place. Of course, nothing could ever compare to Tinker’s raw and unearthly beauty, but at least this would make him worthy to stand at his side. 

Suddenly, there was a knock on his office door. Runaan’s head whipped to attention and he carefully spread out the papers on his desk to make it seem like he was working. “Come in.” he called, folding his hands expectantly. 

The door slowly creaked open and in came the embodiment of sunlight itself. Tinker’s smile, in Runaan’s opinion, could outshine even in the brightest star in the universe. 

“Here you are, Mr. Moonshadow!” Tinker said brightly, setting the cup delicately on the desk, “One black coffee with moonberry syrup, just as you asked. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Now was his chance! Runaan cleared his throat and straightened his collar. “Yes, actually...there is.” He stood up from the desk, the coffee laying forgotten, and walked around until he was standing directly in front of the PA, who was looking at him with wide, expectant eyes. 

It was another thing that Runaan loved about Tinker. Even though it was his job, Tinker was always so helpful and seemed to genuinely care if Runaan was happy or not. Even though he had only been employed for two days, any dolt could see it. Of course, it only made Runaan all the more smitten. 

“I was wondering…” Runaan began, “Since I don’t know you as well as I’d like to...if you’d like to...that is--”

Tinker’s expression turned into something unreadable. If Runaan had to guess, he’d say it was hopeful, but that couldn’t possibly be right. How could he anticipate his master plan after he had planned it so well? No! He couldn’t get distracted by Tinker’s soft, full lips that had parted so adorably, or his soft hair that he desperately wanted to brush out of his face, or his--

“Actually, could you fax the Tuesday reports out to our associates at Katolis Enterprises? I believe they’re late and I woudn’t want to risk our relationship with them.”

Tinker didn’t say anything for a moment. His head had lowered so Runaan couldn’t quite make out what he was emoting. Although, he certainly didn’t seem to be happy. Why wasn’t he happy?

Suddenly, Tinker’s head lifted again and his usual smile was back on his face, if a bit strained. “Sure, Mr. Moonshadow. I’ll fax them out right away.” Without even waiting for a reply, Tinker turned and swept out of the room, rubbing his eye as he went. 

It was then and only then that Runaan realized what he had just said. No, no, no, he had done it again! He hadn’t meant to ask about the reports. The reports didn’t matter in the slightest, not compared to his love. 

Runaan had to resist the urge to punch the wall. This was the second time he had failed in conveying his true feelings to his soulmate. If he couldn’t even ask him out to a simple dinner, what sort of a man was he?!

Frustrated beyond belief, Runaan returned to his desk and folded his hands into a steeple, deep in thought. How was he going to fix this? He could always run after Tinker and say that he hadn’t meant to ask about the faxes, but that would be pathetic. And Runaan was  _ not  _ pathetic. Tinker deserved the very best; Runaan would not have him look upon him in this dreadful state of failure. 

He’d try again tomorrow, he finally decided. Tomorrow was the day he’d get it right. 

Hopefully. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave comments if you enjoyed it!!

**Author's Note:**

> leave comments if you guys liked it!


End file.
